Webcomic Wednesday – Cucumber Quest Review

Parodies are often made out of hate for the source material they poke fun of. The very best of the genre, however, are made unabashedly out of love. Such is the case for Cucumber Quest, a comic written and illustrated by Gigi D.G. It is a fantasy webcomic about a group of humanoid bunnies going on a adventure to save the world from an ancient evil. It lovingly parodies many fantasy cliches, such as prophecies and wise, all-knowing guides. Reluctant protagonist Cucumber and his little sister, Almond, move from kingdom to kingdom to defeat the minions of the all-powerful Nightmare Knight. On their journey they gather loyal friends to their quest, such as the timid but honorable Sir Knight and the forgetful Princess Nautilus. On their way to saving the world, however, they discover there is more to the prophecy than they were told.

The characters, while simple when they are initially introduced, are given opportunities to grow as the narrative progresses. As a result, many recurring characters develop more and more layers with each chapter. Many of the villains in particular appear one note at first (though delightful nonetheless), only for their characters to flip readers’ expectations. The standouts here are Peridot, a henchman who eventually develops a crush on Almond, and the Nightmare Knight himself.

D.G. compliments her fun and quirky writing with a beautiful and unique art style. Unlike most comics, Cucumber Quest is drawn without line art. This gives each page a painterly quality. D.G. makes full use of this effect with an excellent use of color. The kingdoms in the world of Cucumber Quest also benefit from the story’s technicolor pallet, with each one having a very distinctive aesthetic that is memorable in its own way.

The majority of the humor is derived from the aforementioned poking fun at fantasy tropes as well as character interactions, and it is just as well done as the design elements of the comic. It also gets stronger as said interactions take place between characters that have been developed. Also like the art, the humor also adds yet more charm onto D.G.’s comic.

Image Credit: Cucumber.gigidigi.com

Cucumber Quest is available both online for free and for purchase in print. Its beautiful art style and fun take on the fantasy genre makes it a great read for all ages!